Medal US Shays Rebellion

This may not be your precise medal, William, but it is one like it. The date 1786 is the date of the historical event, not the date of the medal itself. As annotated, your medal is made of sterling (92.5 percent) silver. The silver content is the primary source of value.

There is a big business making artistic and attractive medals for collectors. The patterns often follow certain themes, and American history is a popular one. The artistry and excellence in manufacture is usually unsurpassed for such medals, and they attract a large following of collectors who buy them and display them in their homes.

Most often these medals are sold at very high premiums over actual value. The purchaser gets a nice collectible, but the purchaser does not get a good investment. When it comes time to sell such items, they usually bring a small amount over basic metal value. Bronze medals, which contain no precious metal, sell for a few US dollars. Silver and gold medals sell for a few dollars over 'melt' value. Melt value is the value of the precious metal alone. Look it up on web sites such as kitco.com.

At today's silver price, your medal is worth about $25 US dollars, maybe a little less. If it were bronze, it would be worth about $2. The price of gold and silver changes every day, so be sure to look it up.
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